SEO Leads: Why They Matter & How to Bring Them In

Simply having a website isn’t enough to bring in leads, businesses need an exhaustive SEO content strategy to increase search engine visibility and bring in solid organic leads. Back in the early 2000s when Google was just getting started, it relied heavily on backlinks and text data as its main ranking factors. Fast forward to the present day, Google’s algorithm has become a robust resource for searchers.

User intent is now a dominating factor in search rankings, so your content needs to mirror what customers are searching for. In this article, we will answer your questions about what user intent is and how you can account for it in your content.

Why are SEO Leads Important?

SEO leads are an organic source of traffic, giving them a low cost per conversion when compared to other avenues. When stacked up head to head with PPC, 70% of businesses reported that organic SEO traffic generated more traffic. And, these leads were typically higher quality than their PPC counterparts. Ultimately, it all comes down to user intent. When someone hops on their computer to search for video streaming services, the intent is there, whether they want to browse what options exist or are ready to sign up for a trial. 

By creating the right content, your organic SEO strategy can easily account for this. Paid advertisements do take user intent into account to some degree, but can appear in places or times that aren’t cohesive with the information the user is seeking.

What is User Intent?

It may be tempting to go after specific keywords, but the user intent behind them is what’s most important. The term user intent, also known as search intent, illustrates the goal the user has for searching a particular term. User intent has even begun overshadowing individual keywords in terms of how Google factors it into ranking power. 

There are four categories to keep in mind when it comes to defining user intent:

• Informational – Users in this stage are gathering information surrounding a particular product or subject before making a purchase. These queries are typically written in “who”, “what”, “when”, “where”, “how”, and “why”.
• Transactional – In this stage, the user is ready to make a purchase or perform a specific online activity. Many times these queries will include a specific product or company name.
• Navigational – This simply means that a user is looking to reach a specific site. Most SEO experts agree that ranking high for navigational terms is only helpful if users are looking for your specific site.
• Commercial – Some searchers aren’t ready to make a purchase now, but are getting their research in for the near future. This is called commercial search intent. These searchers have an element of transactional intent, but are still gathering the information they need.

User Intent Drives Leads, Here’s How You Can Do It

Understanding what your customers want is the key to mastering user intent. Where a lot of businesses go wrong is focusing too much on transactional and informational queries, which can throw the order of your content out of balance. A balanced approach helps capture traffic at each stage of the buying process without ostracizing users in other areas of the funnel, leading to improved conversion and more leads to your site. Here are some of our tips for crafting content that keep user intent in mind:

Put Yourself in the User’s Shoes

To figure out how people are searching and what resources they are looking for, you have to become the customer for a moment. Resources like Ask the Public, SEMRush, and Google Keyword Planner are helpful in showing you what related terms users are looking for based on as keywords. These tools help show user intent so that you can craft copy that answers these unique queries.

Focus on Answers, Not Word Counts

We hear frequently that the longer the content, the better the ranking power. However, this isn’t always the case. Content that satisfies user intent is what will give you better rankings, and sometimes answering customer queries doesn’t require 3,000 words. Avoid adding in extra fluff to make your content fit length requirements, and instead focus on incorporating relevant search terms with robust information. 

Deliver on Your Promises

If the search engine preview (SERP) on Google promises something to users, make sure the corresponding landing page delivers. For example, let’s say you own a streaming platform that offers a 7-day free trial for new users. In this case, you would want to include terms like “video streaming services free trial” in the SERP with relevant terms on the landing page (such as “start your free trial”, “sign up for free”). And of course, this is a great place for a form where users can sign up.

Get More SEO Leads

Quality content has always been a cornerstone of a successful SEO strategy, but this content needs to address the needs of your audience throughout whatever goal they are looking to reach. Navigating the intricacies of executing an SEO content strategy is no small undertaking, and works best when left to the experts. 

Now is the time to take your content to the next level, and the experts at Cape & Bay are here to turn your website into a lead generation machine. Drop us a line today to release the transformative power of &.